Some of the most recognizable baseball cards ever made, original paintings used to create cards in the 1953 Topps set and nearly 3,000 other items went on the market Monday as Robert Edward Auctions opened its Summer Catalog Auction.
As we reported last week, the auction headliner is a freshly consigned and new to the hobby T206 Joe Doyle Hands Above Head N.Y. Nat’l error card graded SGC VG+ 3.5. With no more than ten known to exist, it’s one of the rarest baseball cards in the world. Another example sold at auction for just over $1 million in 2022.
The auction also includes another T206 rarity: a PSA 2.5 Eddie Plank that originated in the collection of hobby pioneer Charlie Conlon.
A 1948-1949 Leaf #79 Jackie Robinson Rookie PSA NM-MT 8, a 1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle Rookie PSA NM-MT 8, a 1955 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax Rookie PSA MINT 9 and a Babe Ruth game model bat dating between 1922 and 1924 (PSA GU 10) and recently photomatched all carry a starting bid of $100,000.
Other highlights include:
- Lot 6 – 1909-1911 T206 White Border Ty Cobb Portrait Red Background SGC NM/MT 8 (Starting Bid: $50,000)
- Lot 5 – 1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle PSA EX 5 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 8 – 1933 R319 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig PSA NM-MT 8 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 9 – 1933 R319 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth SGC NM 7 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 10 – 1952 Topps #261 Willie Mays SGC NM/MT 8 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 15 – 1965 Topps #477 Steve Carlton Rookie PSA GEM MINT 10 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 20 – 1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson Rookie PSA GEM MINT 10 (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 2809 – 1960 Topps #300 Hank Aaron PSA MINT 9 – Highest Graded (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 22 – 1970-1971 Topps Basketball Second Series Unopened Wax Box (24 Packs) – BBCE (Starting Bid: $20,000)
- Lot 21 – 1981 Topps Football #216 Joe Montana Rookie PSA GEM MINT 10 (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lot 23 – 1877 Boston Red Stockings Team Cabinet (J. Wood Studio) with George Wright, Jim O’Rourke, and Deacon White (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lot 301 – 1909-1911 T206 White Border Walter Johnson Hands at Chest – Broad Leaf 460 Back PSA FAIR 1.5 – Newly Discovered (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lot 2287 – 1933 R338 Sport Kings #4 Red Grange PSA NM-MT 8 (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lot 2447 – 1961-1962 Fleer Basketball #8 Wilt Chamberlain Rookie PSA NM-MT 8 (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lot 2413 – 2000 Playoff Contenders Football #144 Tom Brady Rookie Ticket Autograph BGS MINT 9 with GEM 10 Signature (Starting Bid: $10,000)
A framed display featuring 25 of the small original paintings that became 1953 Topps cards, including Yogi Berra, Red Schoendienst and Phil Rizzuto, is also expected to attract attention.
The piece was been consigned by the grandson of Philip Shorin, the co-founder of Topps.
Other memorabilia items include:
- Lot 18 – 1910-1915 Chick Gandil “Black Betsy” Game-Used Bat PSA/DNA GU 9.5 – Only graded example (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 2114 – 1932-1933 Herb Pennock New York Yankees Road Uniform – Resolution Photomatch (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lots 16 & 17 – Rare 1903 Boston Americans (vs. Pittsburgh Pirates) first World Series Game 1 Ticket (One of Only Two Examples Known – Starting Bid: $10,000) and Game 3 Program (Starting Bid: $25,000)
- Lot 19 – Circa 1966 Willie Mays San Francisco Giants Signed Game-Used Glove with Batboy Provenance – PSA/DNA (Starting Bid: $20,000)
- Lot 2092 – 1921 New York Giants World Series Championship Pendant Presented to John McGraw with Personally Owned and Engraved Pocket Watch (Starting Bid: $20,000)
- Lot 2435 – 1958 Baltimore Colts NFL Championship Ring – “The Greatest Game Ever Played” – Presented to Team Executive (Starting Bid: $10,000)
- Lots 2545 & 2546 – 1962 Philadelphia Warriors (vs. New York Knicks) Ticket Stub graded PSA GOOD 2 and Program Signed by Chamberlain (Starting Bid on Both: $5,000)
“While the quality of items that we have in our Summer event is incredible, this is also one of the most diverse auctions that we’ve ever hosted,” remarked REA President Brian Dwyer. “From the exceedingly rare T206 Joe Doyle error card to a number of unique championship items, game-used memorabilia, and even rare Pokemon and Star Wars collectibles, we’re extremely excited about this auction because it caters to such a wide spectrum of the hobby.”
The auction will run through Sunday, August 13, with initial bids closing at 9 PM ET.
Many of of the items will be featured at REA’s booth (#327) during the National Sports Collectors Convention later this week.
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Long-Time Collector’s T206 Set Gets Solo Auction Spotlight
“All-Star Cafe” Wagner Sells for Record $3.1 Million
Shop Talk: Being Patient with a New Hire; 1953 Topps Return
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